Need urgent Help: white smoke from exhaust after oil change
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 29
Likes: 1
2008 ML350
Need urgent Help: white smoke from exhaust after oil change
Hi Guys,
I did Oil change for the first time and looks like I messed up something. Here are the steps I did.
1. Drained all the Oil by using top sider oil extractor by placing pipe in the dip stick hole
2. Changed Oil Filter
3. 1st messy - I poured 5 Quartz OW-40 in the Oil Filter hole instead of Engine Oil designated hole
4. then realized it's wrong hole, and poured 4.5 Quartz in the Engine Oil hole, where as I guess we need to pour only 8.5 Quartz
5. Drove 2 blocks and when I lift the hood saw a small amount of white smoke coming from Exhaust
6. Then after research I drained some oil and drove 2 blocks, but I still see the smoke
7. Then I drained almost everything and then poured 6.5 Quartz and currently dip stick is showing the oil level middle of Min and Max
8 I stared the engine and after 4-5 mins I see the smoke coming from exhaust, so I am not sure it is safe to drive or not.
My car is 2008 ML350
Any information will be really helpful.
Thanks a lot in advance.
Thanks,
Kumar
I did Oil change for the first time and looks like I messed up something. Here are the steps I did.
1. Drained all the Oil by using top sider oil extractor by placing pipe in the dip stick hole
2. Changed Oil Filter
3. 1st messy - I poured 5 Quartz OW-40 in the Oil Filter hole instead of Engine Oil designated hole
4. then realized it's wrong hole, and poured 4.5 Quartz in the Engine Oil hole, where as I guess we need to pour only 8.5 Quartz
5. Drove 2 blocks and when I lift the hood saw a small amount of white smoke coming from Exhaust
6. Then after research I drained some oil and drove 2 blocks, but I still see the smoke
7. Then I drained almost everything and then poured 6.5 Quartz and currently dip stick is showing the oil level middle of Min and Max
8 I stared the engine and after 4-5 mins I see the smoke coming from exhaust, so I am not sure it is safe to drive or not.
My car is 2008 ML350
Any information will be really helpful.
Thanks a lot in advance.
Thanks,
Kumar
Junior Member
Joined: Jul 2018
Posts: 30
Likes: 9
2014 A207
Should be ok. The overfill has probably allowed oil to get past an oil seal and will cause the engine to smoke for a little while until it has moved off. Now that your oil level is ok, suggest you just drive it around for 20km or so. Should be clear after that.
cheers
cheers
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 29
Likes: 1
2008 ML350
Thank you very much. It really made me feel good. I drove the car for 5 to 6 miles and I don't see the smoke. Actually it's very little smoke and it is not continuously coming.
Usually 5 mins after I start the car I see lite smoke for 30 seconds or min and then it disappears, also I see burn smell during that tie and after I drove car for 1 or 2 miles I checked again and I see the smoke for couple of secs and burning smell and then I don't see. I drove again for 3-4 miles and I don't see smoke anymore. Hopefully it should OK. May be it might be over filled or other told it might be I spilled little and it is burning and after 1 or days it will be gone.
One question please, right not I filled oil up to Dipstick middle(not till Max), do I need to fill till Max? of I should be OK as long as it is more than min?
I really appreciate taking time to respond my question. Thank you very much
Usually 5 mins after I start the car I see lite smoke for 30 seconds or min and then it disappears, also I see burn smell during that tie and after I drove car for 1 or 2 miles I checked again and I see the smoke for couple of secs and burning smell and then I don't see. I drove again for 3-4 miles and I don't see smoke anymore. Hopefully it should OK. May be it might be over filled or other told it might be I spilled little and it is burning and after 1 or days it will be gone.
One question please, right not I filled oil up to Dipstick middle(not till Max), do I need to fill till Max? of I should be OK as long as it is more than min?
I really appreciate taking time to respond my question. Thank you very much
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 427
Likes: 57
13 GL350, 14 SL550
Something is wrong with the steps you outlined. If the capacity is 8.5qt, how did you "drain everythign" and refill with 6.5qt and it is now full?
I think you aren't draining everything. Next time, drain with the topsider then try removing the drain plug and see what comes out. I think you are leaving a few quarts of oil in the engine, then overfilling it.
If you are between MIN and MAX then you are fine. There isn't much oil required to top up (I believe 1 qt will take you from MIN to MAX, so you should only add 1/4 quart, check, then do again if required)
I would leave it as is.. you are probably fine. But next time make sure you have drained ALL of the oil. Always put a quart less than what the engine requires, start and shut it down quickly, wait 5 mins then check oil. Top up with the last quart as required.
I think you aren't draining everything. Next time, drain with the topsider then try removing the drain plug and see what comes out. I think you are leaving a few quarts of oil in the engine, then overfilling it.
If you are between MIN and MAX then you are fine. There isn't much oil required to top up (I believe 1 qt will take you from MIN to MAX, so you should only add 1/4 quart, check, then do again if required)
I would leave it as is.. you are probably fine. But next time make sure you have drained ALL of the oil. Always put a quart less than what the engine requires, start and shut it down quickly, wait 5 mins then check oil. Top up with the last quart as required.
